What If: An Intelligent Device Meets Tidal Blade
by Writer-and-Artist27
Summary: A sequel to the first "What If", where the swordsman friend of the original civilian makes contact with a Device waiting for a new master. It takes some adjustment, but it works. [Spin-off of The Sea and Stars, crossing over Civilian Pianist and Lang Noi's Catch Your Breath]


_Disclaimer_ : I don't own _anything_ except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe.

I honestly was not expecting to get back in this alternate world of _The Sea and Stars_ again, but after a short chat with Lang, I decided to go with it. Basically, another Device shows up, and for the other lady that stars in _The Sea and Stars~_

The theme is fittingly _Lightning Assault_ from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A's Soundtrack.

Please enjoy!

* * *

 _What If: An Intelligent Device Meets Tidal Blade_

"…Tomo?" Kei deadpanned.

"Yes, Kei?" Tomoko beamed back.

The ninja just glanced at the strange… relic in her hands. A simple, yellow metal triangle, glittering in the sunlight. It was nice, but… "Tomo, what _is_ this?"

"Hmm…" the girl hummed, intertwining her fingers behind her back while attempting to whistle. Unfortunately, the civilian didn't seem to have the aptitude for it, judging by the rough sound of puffed air. "Let me just say it's like Raising Heart."

" **Indeed."** The Device gleamed from around Tomoko's neck.

" …This thing?" Kei touched the surface of the triangle hesitantly. "You mean—"

" **Hello, sir."** The triangle interrupted politely with a yellow glow.

Kei nearly threw it up in the air. "B-Bwuh?!"

"Kei-chan, meet Bardiche," Tomoko was smiling. "Raising Heart's counterpart, old friend, and partner."

" **Bardiche Assault, at your service, sir."** The triangle said.

Kei glanced at the Device before looking up at the civilian again. "…Tomo," she deadpanned.

Tomoko blinked back, now looking somewhat freaked. The ninja had an offhand feeling that she was scowling, if the civilian's face was anything to go by. "Uh…yes, Kei?"

The ninja sighed before proceeding to grab the girl by the shoulders with one arm and make the hand-sign for the Body Flicker Jutsu with the other. "We need to talk. Now."

Kei didn't even see Tomoko's panicked expression. Her chakra was already pooling into the jutsu. "W-Wait, Kei—"

POOF.

* * *

Tomoko nearly retched as soon as her feet touched solid ground again. Judging by the welcoming carpet and faint smell of ink, they were in Kei's apartment.

The air was nice, but that didn't help the various flip-flops her stomach was doing.

The civilian was _sure_ her friend didn't know Hiraishin like her mentor, so then why was her stomach hurting?

"…Tomo?" Kei squeezed her shoulder.

Tomoko tried to hold back the first signs of vomit to instead cover her mouth with her hand. "Uh…"

"… _Shit_ ," the ninja cursed loudly. She then facepalmed before reaching over to gently pick up the civilian and promptly deposit her on the nearest couch at the lowest ninja-speed setting. "I'm sorry Tomo, I forgot you get motion-sick."

"I-It's…" the civilian trailed off to instead hold her stomach with an arm, trying not to feel anymore horrendous. "It's okay… _urgh_ …"

Kei simply brushed some of the girl's bangs away from her face with a worried frown. "…Need water?"

"N-Nah…" Tomoko mumbled, still covering her mouth. "J-Just a second…" With a shaky breath, the girl looked down at her Device. "R-Raising Heart, help?"

The jewel sparkled softly. " **Alright, Master. Commencing Healing."**

The same pink Mid-Childan Magic Circle sprouted up in the floor to glow for a few moments. Kei tried not to jump as the circle twirled, illuminating her friend's figure for a few seconds before fading away into the carpet without a trace.

" **Recovery Complete."** Raising Heart hummed.

Tomoko took a more steady breath before opening her eyes and smiling shakily. "S-Sorry about that, Kei."

"I-it's fine." The ninja said, rubbing the back of her head. "So…think you could explain this?"

"Which part?" The civilian sat up, removing her hand from her mouth to instead place in her lap.

Kei fingered the triangle in her pocket before taking it out. "…This."

" **What can I do for you, sir?"** Bardiche asked, almost obliviously.

"This isn't any weapon from the Naruto-verse, Tomo," Kei started, touching the surface quietly. "This looks like something out of a magical girl show."

The civilian smiled grimly, straightening her back while lightly touching Raising Heart. "You mean _Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha_?"

The ninja blinked. Then nearly had her jaw drop. In the meantime, Bardiche glowed an uncertain yellow. " **Sir?"**

"…Tomo, you…you know about this?" Kei gaped, staring down at the Device with wide eyes.

The civilian smiled again, this time looking a bit more sheepish. "Considering my past self was a magical girl fan, then yes. I do." Raising Heart just sparkled from her place around Tomoko's neck.

"…Huh," Kei said, rubbing the triangle absently. "Unless I'm wrong, I have a weapon of mass destruction in my hand."

"… **Thank you, sir,"** Bardiche said dryly, the robotic voice coming off rather miffed.

"Um…" Tomoko blinked, raising her pointer finger in the air. "Not exactly… _mass destruction_ , but close?" Her voice cracked at the last part. It didn't make Kei feel any better.

Raising Heart glowed faintly from around the civilian's neck. " **Lady Kei, we are Intelligent Devices, not just mere weapons."**

The ninja had a strange feeling she just pissed the Device off. "…Anyways," she waved it off with a shaky hand. "Can you or can you not theoretically level a city?"

" **That depends on how you want to use us,"** Raising Heart continued, sounding a bit more subdued. Huh. The topic change worked.

" **What is your command, sir?"** Bardiche added, the voice sounding a bit brighter from Kei's hand.

The ninja looked at the triangle for a second. "I want you to let me ask Tomo a few things without interrupting, at least for a few minutes." The commanding tone came out almost naturally, and as if understanding, the triangle's light faded, a soft hum as her answer. Raising Heart too, stopped glowing from around Tomoko's neck, similarly taking on the same silence.

A soft pause followed.

"Uh…" Tomoko started, absently twirling a strand of hair with her pointer finger. "…So, where should I start? Maybe one question at a time?"

"First up, how you know about this, Tomo." Kei held back the urge to sigh and instead stood up to plop herself down on the couch next to the civilian, crossing her arms. Before doing so, she made sure to pocket Bardiche again for the sake of not losing…well, whatever he was. "How did you find these guys? And why are you giving this one to me?"

"…That's three questions, Kei, not one." Tomoko responded dryly.

The Jounin shrugged. "You get my point."

The civilian sighed. "…well, I was serious though. About knowing who and what they are. My past self knew a version of them, at least." Tomoko looked down at her lap. "I was surprised as much as you are right now, when I found them." The pianist then gently took hold of the red gem around her neck to bring up to eye-level. "They just seemed like any other accessory in the jewelry store, and it was during the year that you were gone, so I ended up buying them without knowing any better. You already know about my meeting with Raising Heart after the whole thing in Sorayama."

How could the ninja forget? Orochimaru, the Chinatsugumi nearly coming to an end, and the sight of one of her only civilian friends donning a white dress and firing a _giant_ pink beam of _death_? Of course it was a surprise. "Yeah, but…" Kei paused, glancing at the red gem in Tomoko's hands.

The civilian glanced at her before smiling softly. "Raising Heart and Bardiche were originally supposed to be things of fiction like this world, Kei. But they're here, from Mid-Childa, and they're looking for new Masters."

" **Indeed."** Bardiche piped up from Kei's pocket. The ninja tried not to jump.

"…Bardiche, it hasn't been a few minutes yet," Kei muttered, squeezing her pocket for extra emphasis. "Think you could leave us for a bit longer?"

A tiny yellow glow resulted before fading.

Kei pinched the bridge of her nose while leaning back against the couch. "…Hard to believe all this, though. Then again, we are reincarnations into what was a fictional world too."

Tomoko giggled. "At least Bardiche seems to like you, Kei?"

"…Don't know how I feel about that, considering the _mass destruction_ and all," Kei deadpanned, inclining her head. "But still, Tomo." The ninja turned towards her friend with a raised eyebrow. "Why did you choose me of all people to give Bardiche to? Isn't he a really powerful…well, Intelligent Device? You didn't have to give him to me."

The civilian glanced at her with a raised eyebrow of her own. "Correction. I _had_ to give him to you."

Kei blinked. "…I don't follow."

Tomoko narrowed her eyes in exasperation before sighing and lightly poking the ninja's cheek. "Kei, Kei, Kei, Kei." With each saying of her name, the civilian poked her cheek. "You worry me, you know?"

The ninja blinked. Then, she intelligently said, "Huh?" to fill in the silence.

"For one thing, I don't recall a person _ever_ being able to use two Intelligent Devices. And I already have Raising Heart." At the sound of her name, the gem glowed faintly from around the civilian's neck. "When I found Bardiche, it was just before I went out to Sorayama to find you. And after the whole thing, I meant to give him to you sooner."

"…Again, why?" Kei responded, inclining her head while narrowly avoiding another cheek poke.

Tomoko pouted at her cheek-poke being foiled before leaning back into the couch with another sigh. "Does ' _Orochimaru_ ' ring a bell?"

The air grew cold almost immediately.

" _Shit,"_ Kei cursed. "Are you thinking—"

Tomoko was smiling rather grimly now while looking up at the ceiling. "Starlight Breaker and Divine Buster may be powerful spells, but you can never be sure with that douchebag. In canon, even Sasuke killing him wasn't final because he found a way to ' _miraculously_ ' come back _via_ Sasuke." The civilian then hung her head. "I know I trust Raising Heart's readings a lot, but you can never be sure," she glanced at the gem around her neck. "No offense intended, Raising Heart."

" **None taken, Master,"** the Device responded softly.

Tomoko then turned to Kei again with a sheepish smile. "So…when I found Bardiche, I knew I wanted you to be his User. From what I remember, he's as much of a powerful weapon as Raising Heart, possibly even more so in certain situations." The civilian then chuckled dryly. "I'm still a civilian at heart, you know. Weak in physical capabilities and all. You're the ninja with Isobu-san and training. So, you should be able to do a lot more, Kei. Especially if Orochimaru comes back."

 **What am I, an invalid?** Isobu said, irked.

"…Tomo," Kei started, ignoring her mental counterpart while uncertainty seeped into her voice. "I'm grateful you have that much faith in me, but are you sure—"

"Yes, I'm sure." The civilian interrupted, nodding her head. "I can't trust anyone else but you, Kei. Especially with Bardiche. I-I don't know anybody else I can trust with him, considering how powerful he was in _Nanoha._ " Tomoko went on to grab Kei's hand softly, squeezing almost immediately. "And…" She looked down.

"And?" Kei said, squeezing back.

Bardiche glowed a faint yellow from Kei's pocket.

The last thing the ninja was expecting was for a single droplet to fall on their intertwined hands. Kei blinked, squeezing the civilian's hand again. "…Tomo?"

"I-I'm sorry, Kei…" Tomoko wiped at her eyes with the hand not holding onto Kei while keeping the view hidden with her hair. "I-I don't mean to get all emotional on you, but…" The civilian sniffled once before looking up with a shaky smile. "I-I don't want to see you go like that time before Sorayama, Kei."

The ninja froze. "Tomo…"

Tomoko wiped her eyes again with a shaky laugh. "I-I know, it's super weird, considering you're a Jounin now. You're able to take care of yourself, and don't have to rely on Minato-san or others as much in combat. You even have Isobu-san, but…" she shook her head, letting go of Kei's hand at the same time. "I can't help feeling this way. Scared, concerned, worried, all of these things. About you, about everything and everyone we know at this point, all of it." She sighed shakily for the umpteenth time before gulping a lump down her throat. "S-So, when I found Bardiche, I just thought…. I just thought that those worries would be alleviated a bit. I thought that I could finally stop feeling so helpless and just let you go out to whatever you're doing with a smile like I'm supposed to."

The civilian finally made eye contact again, and Kei sucked in a breath at the red lines underneath Tomoko's eyes. "I-Is…is that okay?"

The ninja just pulled her friend into a side hug, resting her cheek on the civilian's head. "Of course it is. Feeling like that isn't weird at all." Kei breathed in slowly. "Thank you, Tomo."

Tomoko just sniffled. "Y-Yeah…I-I'm sorry for being a crybaby on you."

Kei shook her head, tightening her grip. "I'm sorry for worrying you. It'll be okay." The Jounin went on to bury her nose into the civilian's hair. "Take as much time as you need to get it out. Or calm down. Either or."

Tomoko nodded, before taking a deep breath and exhaling. This process of breathing in and out continued for a few moments, and Kei waited.

Finally, the civilian pulled away with a small smile, wiping her eyes again. "A-Anyways, I probably should show you how to set up Bardiche. Think we could get a Training Ground or use some kind of Genjutsu to get in each other's heads? I think it would be easier to show you rather than explain it."

Kei grinned a lopsided smile. "I think a Training Ground would be better, but just to make sure, no Body Flickers, right?"

Tomoko frowned. "No," was the flat response.

Kei chuckled, then got up from the couch to offer her back.

Tomoko blinked, frown wiped off her face almost immediately. "K-Kei?"

"How does a piggy-back ride sound? Just for fun." Kei smiled again.

The civilian blinked, a bit more rapidly this time, then grinned like a small child, jumping on her friend's back almost immediately. Kei held back the urge to wince and instead shrugged, standing up almost immediately while supporting Tomoko's weight. "Training Ground Three?"

"Training Ground Three!" Tomoko finally sounded happy, judging by her tight grip on the ninja. "Let's go, Kei!"

The ninja grinned, and then sped off at her lowest speed setting.

Right out of that apartment and into the open air.

* * *

Once the grass greeted their feet, Kei pulled the yellow triangle out of her pocket to hold with a doubtful expression. "…So," she said.

"How to start setting him up?" Tomoko finished, having been set down on her feet to stand on her own, still grinning. The ninja didn't blame her since the wind _did_ feel nice when running to the Training Ground.

Not that it didn't help the dread Kei was feeling.

Tomoko inclined her head before taking on a softer smile, reaching over to unlatch Raising Heart from her necklace. "How about I show an example then?"

"…Sure?" Kei started, blinking. Bardiche glowed lightly in response.

"Then, Raising Heart," the civilian smiled down at the red gem. "Set up?"

" **Alright, Master."** The Device glowed a soft red. " **Standby, ready. Set Up."**

"W-What the -" Kei nearly jumped at the sight of the same Pink Mid-Childan Magic Circle from earlier popping up underneath her friend's feet. The fact that it was _spinning_ didn't help the ninja's paranoia in the slightest. "T-Tomo, what are you—"

The same pink light surrounded her friend again, and Kei forced herself to look away from the bright light show. A few seconds later, the light faded, and Kei opened her eyes.

"…Well, that was a thing," Tomoko said dryly.

"…Whoa," was all Kei could say in response.

The last time Kei had seen the civilian in such garb, it was in Sorayama, and that was a completely different story. Chakra exhaustion had set in, so the Jounin didn't exactly have the time to really look her friend over.

But now? Tomoko almost resembled a warrior princess, with Raising Heart taking on a larger, Staff form in her right hand. Her mid-length black hair had now been tied up in a side ponytail by a white hair ribbon, and with the white dress, vest, boots, and so on, she definitely looked like she came out of a fantasy story. The red gem accents on her sleeves, shoulder pads, and boots added to the look. And the blue. _Whoa,_ that was a lot of blue. From her gauntlets to the lines spreading across Tomoko's vest and dress edges, it was definitely somewhat of a fancy image. The only simplistic part of the entire outfit was the large, red ribbon bow at the center of the girl's chest, keeping the vest together over everything else.

"A bit complex, don't you think?" The ninja deadpanned after a few seconds.

Tomoko shrugged. "Barrier Jacket designs can be like that."

Now Kei was confused. "…Barrier Jacket?"

"Think of the Konoha flak jacket, only a bit fancier and magical. Not to mention personalized." Tomoko raised a fingerless, black gloved hand in the air while smiling. "It's basically a mage's armor, from what I can remember from _Nanoha_ , anyways. It's cast automatically by the Device, and can easily prevent fatal magic from getting through. Not all attacks work since it provides automatic protection, but the Jacket _can_ be broken."

" **That is correct,"** Raising Heart blinked from the Staff. " **That is where we Devices come in to help the mage."**

"Sooooo…" Kei glanced down at the blinking yellow triangle in her hands. "Is that where Bardiche is supposed to come in and help me? Because I'm not a mage, Tomo."

Tomoko inclined her head while smiling innocently. "I'm not either!"

…

Kei closed her gaping jaw. "Huh?"

The girl chuckled. "Correction, I'm not a mage by _Nanoha_ standards, but I'm still able to use Raising Heart like Nanoha. It's because apparently, chakra can be converted to mana that Raising Heart and in turn, Bardiche, use for spells."

"So, wait." Kei held up her hand in disbelief. "Bardiche runs on _chakra_? Just like anything _and_ everything else here?"

Tomoko inclined her head again, blinking owlishly. "…Was it not obvious?"

Kei facepalmed with a groan. "…Tomo."

"…Sorry," the civilian added sheepishly a few seconds later.

"Don't worry about it." Kei lifted her face off her palm to blink. "Anyways, do I just say something like ' _Bardiche, Set Up_?'"

" **Get set,"** the triangle said immediately, glowing a faint yellow from her right hand.

Kei blinked again. Then her heart sunk in her chest. "W-Wait, Bardiche, that's not—"

" **Standby, ready. Set Up."** The triangle continued obliviously, the glow getting stronger. Kei then had to cover her eyes AGAIN as the same magic circle circled underneath her, only this time in a yellow color scheme. " **Barrier Jacket, Impulse Form."**

Energy flowed through the air around her, and Kei nearly choked. A few seconds later, the energy pulse faded and with it, the bright yellow light. Once it was entirely gone, Kei took her hands away from her face only to gape.

"What the _fuck?_ " Instead of her Jounin blues, a dark black overcoat with white trimmings replaced it, squeezing her rather comfortably. Even with the somewhat tiny black mini-skirt hidden underneath said coat, the red-rimmed black stockings and _metal_ shoes certainly were a nice touch. Looking behind her, a sweeping white cloak-cape thing greeted her view, sweeping itself on her shoulders in a touch eerily reminiscent of comic-book heroes of old days.

Kei stretched her left hand, only to have her jaw drop. Instead of gloves, a metal gauntlet reminding her of _Fullmetal Alchemist_ shined there instead, moving in the way her mind told it to.

" **Is the default Barrier Jacket setting to your liking, sir?"** Bardiche said, and Kei turned to her right only see the triangle having transformed into a very-cool looking axe in her hand, yellow orb at the center blinking at her. " **I did not have enough time to personalize it."**

"It's…really cool?" Kei started blandly, stretching her limbs. It was a lot of clothing, but it was certainly comfortable.

" _Ohmigosh,_ " was all the ninja heard before Tomoko was nearly in her face, smiling happily. "Kei-chan, you look _amazing_! I should've let Bardiche do this sooner!"

The praise was nice, but…

Kei found herself pulling down on the skirt with the hand that wasn't holding onto Bardiche. "Sheesh, doesn't this thing come in _pants_?"

Tomoko blinked before glancing at the axe. "Bardiche, could you fix that?"

" **What is your preference, sir?"** The axe blinked in response.

"Change the skirt to something…not as revealing." Kei frowned, tugging at the fabric again. "Do you at least have something _like_ baggy pants? I _liked_ my previous outfit for a reason."

Isobu took that moment to butt in, at least mentally. **In what reality is this practical for combat?**

"…Isobu-san said something, didn't he?" Tomoko deadpanned while still holding Raising Heart.

"He did," Kei responded, still tugging at the skirt. "Bardiche?"

 **This is ridiculous.** Isobu added. **How can a mere machine help us?**

And then the same yellow light shined from the ground, and Kei tried not to stare as the fabric in her hand transformed again. Thankfully, the skirt lengthened itself to be black baggy pants, covering her legs almost completely while taking out the stockings.

"…Much better." Kei deadpanned.

"And you _still_ look totally awesome, Kei-chan." Was Tomoko…gushing? Judging by her wide smile and apparent sparkly aura, it seemed to be the case. "I _knew_ Bardiche was a great fit for you!"

"…That's great and all, Tomo, but what am I supposed to do _now_?" Kei gripped Bardiche a bit tighter while looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "I can't just stand around looking like this. And the cape seems to be a bit much."

The civilian wilted. "E-Ehhh?" Tomoko then hung her head. "I-I think the cape looks great…" she sighed. "You do have a point though." Again, the civilian sighed and Kei had a strange feeling Tomoko was inwardly sulking. "Just tell Bardiche, and he'll fix it. You _are_ his new Master now."

" **Indeed, Sir,"** the axe blinked, a bit brighter than before.

"…Huh." The Jounin turned towards the Device again, inclining her head. "Then, could you take out the cape and replace it with what I'm thinking of right now? I have a better idea."

" **Just a moment,"** Bardiche hummed under her gloved, not metal hand, before shining a faint yellow again. " **Beginning reconstruction."**

The same yellow Magic Circle popped up under the ground again, and this time, Kei wasn't blinded as her clothes transformed again. Straps for extra swords were added to her pants underneath the overcoat, and her right arm took on the same metal gauntlet that covered her left. As a finishing touch, the originally white cape shrunk to that of a blue armband on the ninja's right shoulder, taking on the familiar Konoha leaf symbol on accompanying metal plating.

Kei glanced at the leaf with a smile. "Well, that just about settles it. The overcoat stays, everything else goes."

Tomoko looked the ninja over once, then smiled again. "You still look great, Kei-chan," she said softly.

"Thanks." Kei stretched her arms for a moment before experimentally swinging the axe in an upwards arc. "Still, what can Bardiche do? Is he like you and Raising Heart in battle, Tomo?"

" **Yes and no, Lady Kei,"** the Staff blinked, glowing a soft pink. " **Bardiche is an Intelligent Device, but he has abilities unique to him that I can't replicate."**

Tomoko glanced at the Device before shrugging, her shoulder pads making it a bit more exaggerated. "…Well, Raising Heart just summed up what I was going to say."

"Abilities like what?" Kei continued, raising an eyebrow.

Inwardly, Isobu frowned. **What can this piece of junk do—**

"Bardiche?" Tomoko said, unknowingly interrupting the Tailed Beast in the middle of his sentence. "Please set up Zamber Form."

" **Zamber Form, set up."** The axe said obediently.

Kei blinked again. "W-Wait, Tomo, what are you—"

And then Bardiche unveiled what appeared to be a revolving _bullet_ cartridge in the upper staff part connecting to the head, spinning it before closing the gap again with an audible, mechanical click. A bullet shell dropped to the ground in yellow sparkles before the axe shifted. " **Zamber Form."** The letters showed up in cursive yellow in the Device's jewel before the axe part promptly disappeared, mechanically shifting to form a sword hilt with no blade. A few seconds was all it took for a _gigantic_ yellow energy blade looking like something akin to a _Buster Sword_ to sprout from the black hilt, and with the shortened staff, or _handle_ now, Kei nearly stumbled underneath the Device's weight.

Isobu clicked whatever tongue he had. **Impressive. I take back what I said earlier.**

"Wow." Kei said. She swung the large sword slowly. With the fading sparks of gold left in the distance, the ninja found herself more impressed than before.

"Bardiche's strongest form, Zamber Form." Tomoko blinked before lifting Raising Heart in the air with a small smile. Small pink spheres darted out of the staff, circling the air around them before taking random, stationary positions in the training field. "How about you try attacking these then, Kei?"

The ninja blinked. "…Are those supposed to be magic versions of targets?"

"Raising Heart's own brand." The civilian responded, lowering the Device with the same smile. As soon as it was said, the same pink spheres took on cursive writing, now clearly saying 'Target' in light pink. "Try it, Kei."

Tomoko took a few steps back, the red gems on her boots sparkling in the sunlight while doing so, and watched.

Kei blinked, and then lowered Bardiche. "Here goes…"

She swung the large sword in a simple horizontal arc.

And all the pink targets exploded in the yellow blade's wake.

BOOM!

The sound echoed in the Training Ground for what felt like _miles._

Tomoko gaped as soon as the yellow smoke cleared. "…Um."

Kei was slack-jawed. "…Whoa." She lifted Bardiche up to eye-level. "Was that all _you_ , Bardiche?"

The yellow jewel in the center of the sword hilt blinked at her, resembling a demon eye for just a moment with the flickering light. " **Yes and no, sir. I am merely a vehicle that augments a user's power. Most of that destructive power was you, sir."**

"…I'm not surprised," Kei deadpanned, tilting the sword at an angle. "Are there any other forms you can take?"

The Device blinked a light yellow again. Then, the same bullet cartridge whirred without having to reveal itself. " **Yes, sir. Just one. Crescent Form, Set Up."** Bardiche hummed again, and Kei watched as the yellow blade disappeared. The sword hilt shifted back to a longer, staff form, the axe returning moments later before the blade shifted sideways, facing the sky while another, scythe-like energy blade ran through the gaping holes left in the weapon. If Kei didn't know any better, Bardiche now resembled a yellow-black-magic version of Hidan's scythe. " **Get set."**

Tomoko sighed while setting out some more targets with Raising Heart. "Try swinging him again then."

Kei gripped the staff a bit tighter, and then swung her arms in the targets' general direction.

Another matching BOOM, albeit a bit more subdued, sounded.

" _Whoa._ " Kei couldn't help the light grin on her face. "That _really_ does a lot for long-range attacks."

"There are other ways for Bardiche to get on the offensive." Tomoko took a few steps closer again, smiling hesitantly while raising a hand. "There's Plasma Smasher, what I think is Bardiche's version of Divine Buster, Energy Binds, Photon Lancer, Phalanx Shift, um…" The civilian paused while glancing at her hand to count off fingers. "There's Sonic Form…then Full Drive…Limit Break…"

The ninja blinked, feeling a weight come down on her head. Instead of deadpanning, Kei dispelled Bardiche's current form to walk closer, frowning. "T-Tomo, you don't have to list it all off now! We still have time to practice."

The civilian flushed a light pink. "O-Oh. Um," Tomoko scratched her cheek. "I'm sorry," she giggled sheepishly. "I just feel really excited knowing that I have the chance to help you now."

Kei found herself grinning nervously back. "Don't worry about it. Still," she glanced down at herself, tapping her metal boot against the grass. "What else is there aside from the Barrier Jacket being…fancy?"

Tomoko blinked before smiling, reaching over to grab Kei's unoccupied hand. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

Kei blinked. She didn't miss how pink energy wings sprouted from her friend's boots. "Wait, Tomo, what are you—"

And then her friend was _floating_ in the air, still grinning while waving Raising Heart. "I'll teach you how to fly!"

" _Bwuh?!_ " Kei tried not to panic. "T-Tomo, a-are you serious—"

Tomoko was giggling while rising in the air a bit higher, pulling on her hand all the same. "Just follow me, Kei! Relax, and let's go!"

The ninja didn't even realize her feet were off the ground until Tomoko was pulling her along.

All Kei could see was the wide expanse of the blue sky, pink energy feathers flying away in their wake, and the civilian's bright smile.

"C'mon Kei!"

Things were definitely changing.

* * *

 _Author's Notes_ : … So, Kei in this continuity has Bardiche Assault now. That escalated quickly. Even though Tomoko had her reasons. In this universe at least, Orochimaru still ended up killing most of the Chinatsugumi, and even though he wasn't able to get to marking Kei with a Curse Mark, I believe that her left arm still suffered from the whole thing. At least, that's my thoughts on it.

At the same time, do note that the Raising Heart and Bardiche portrayed here and in the preceding oneshot are alternate versions of the canon weapons that met Nanoha and Fate. These specific Devices that Kei and Tomoko came to possessing were already upgraded with their Belkan cartridge systems on Mid-Childa, and when the Jewel Seed event happened (namely, the whole Precia Testarossa even from the original Nanoha anime), they were lost in the dimensional quake, instead landing in the Naruto-verse. Then, a random jeweler found them, put them on display, and Tomoko stumbled across them.

A whole bunch of mere coincidences.

Nonetheless, _none_ of these events will be canon to _The Sea and Stars,_ so I hope you enjoyed the continuation of this crack tidbit!


End file.
